Haute cuisine transforms into HAUNT cuisine with Chef David George Gordon’s Creepy, Tasty, Treats

Don’t bug out! The Bug Chef, David George Gordon, is making his Oklahoma City debut at Haunt the Zoo with appearances at both Friday’s All Grown Up event and Saturday’s Haunt the Zoo! Ants, crickets and tarantulas, oh my! This is no trick, The Bug Chef is bringing the creepy crawlies for you to eat!

On Saturday, October 26, Chef David George Gordon, known as The Bug Chef, will be sharing his exotic cuisine and creative culinary talents with Haunt the Zoo guests from 10 a.m. to noon in the Zoo’s entry plaza. The Bug Chef will be providing cooking demonstrations, preparing gourmet bites and tasty treats made with real bugs as protein for Zoo guests to sample! The Zoo will also host a Facebook Live interview/demonstration with Chef Gordon at 12:45 p.m.

On Friday, October 25, Chef David George Gordon will be providing exclusive creepy-crawly treats for Area 51 VIP guests at the Zoo’s second annual Haunt the Zoo: All Grown Up. Area 51 is at capacity and no more tickets are available for this VIP area. General admission tickets for Haunt the Zoo: All Grown Up are available on Eventbrite for $30 per person.

Chef David George Gordon’s The Eat-a-Bug Cookbook will be available for purchase at the Safari Gift Shop, located in the Zoo’s entry plaza.

 

About Haunt the Zoo & Haunt the Zoo: All Grown Up

Bigger and better than ever, Haunt the Zoo’s 36th annual event provides a unique opportunity for families to connect with wildlife as they trick-or-treat through the Zoo during the day. Mark your calendars for this weekend, Saturday/Sunday, Oct. 26-27 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Haunt the Zoo fans can explore the official event trail at their own pace allowing little ones to trick-or-treat along the way, collecting candy and treats from volunteers at 27 themed booths. Each of the booths are designed to be “oh so merry, not scary” with kid-friendly themes and one-of-a-kind props, making them appropriate for young ages. Guests of all ages are welcome to wear Halloween costumes to this event. There’s more to “boo” at the Haunt the Zoo:

  • “Super” size your Haunt the Zoo fun by attending a special superhero-themed Halloween sea lion presentation during this event. Sea lion presentations are daily at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the Noble Aquatic Center. The Haunt the Zoo superhero-themed sea lion presentations will be Saturday, Oct. 19; Sunday, Oct. 20; Saturday, Oct. 26; and Sunday, Oct. 27. Admission is $4 per person and children two and under are free.
  • Bling up your Halloween costume with the OKC Zoo’s newest conservation wristband featuring a bat design. Exclusive to Haunt the Zoo, this limited-edition wristband is only available for purchase through Halloween, Thursday, October 31. Wristbands are $2 each with 100% of proceeds supporting the Zoo’s conservation initiatives.

 

Get ready for a frightfully-fun night of wild and weird with the Oklahoma City Zoo’s Haunt the Zoo: All Grown Up on Friday, October 25, 2019, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Returning for its second year, Haunt the Zoo: All Grown Up is Oklahoma City’s largest Halloween party for adults 21 and older offering the opportunity to celebrate the Halloween season in the most memorable way.

It’s fun for all, as the majority of the Zoo is transformed into a world of wonder, thrills and chills with live performers, light displays, music, bizarre games with prizes and more. Discover not one, but two haunted experiences, including “Childhood Nightmares” at the Herpetarium and the “Forest of the Dead” at Cat Forest. Enjoy “spook”tacular foods, beer and spirits–including the event’s signature cocktail, The Grave Digger, available for purchase at multiple locations throughout the park. Local food trucks, including Let's Do Greek, Oh My Gogi, Yum Pig, Mission In-Pasta-Bowl and Cookie Dough To Go will be on-site. The event will feature bewitching tunes and entertainment provided by international DJ destroyers, Brothers Griiin and a specially-themed sea lion presentation at 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Halloween costumes are encouraged, but not required. No real or fake weapons or full coverage masks are allowed.

The thrill-fest continues with these activities:

  • Go wild for the Conservation Carnival with bizarre games and prizes. Each game costs $1 to play, all proceeds benefit the Zoo’s conservation programs.
  • Karaoke will be a scream from 7-11 p.m. in the Children’s Zoo.
  • Attend one of the spooky sea lion presentations at 8:30 p.m. or 10:30 p.m. The Zoo’s marine mammal team has created a specially themed “NETFISH” presentation that celebrates some of Halloween’s classic movies. 
  • No tricks here, just grown-up treats… Endangered Species Condoms to be exact! Be sure to visit the Center for Biological Diversity’s Pillow Talk table located in the Children’s Zoo to get your Endangered Species Condom. These punny and artful packages are designed to get people talking about how to protect wildlife and the environment in a unique way: with condoms. To learn more, visit www.EndangeredSpeciesCondoms.com.

 

Haunt the Zoo: All Grown Up sponsor/partners-to-date include: The Grand Casino Hotel and Resort, Tanqueray, Pepsi, The Edge and The Franchise radio stations. This event is rain or shine and tickets are non-refundable. Attendees are encouraged to dress for the weather and, in the event of rain, accommodations will be implemented to ensure guest comfort and safety.  Food and drink are available for purchase.

Located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the Oklahoma City Zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, Oklahoma City’s Adventure District and an Adventure Road partner. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Regular admission is $11 for adults and $8 for children ages 3-11 and seniors ages 65 and over. Children two and under are admitted free. Stay connected with the Zoo on FacebookTwitter, Instagram and YouTube and by visiting Our Stories. To learn more about other happenings, call (405) 424-3344 or visit okczoo.org.